Tuesday, July 25, 2006

So the New York Post and Deadspin have both noted that Harold Reynolds was fired after 11 years of working at ESPN. Now normally I'm a negative, nit-picky, and condescending person when talking about Sportscasters....but not today (well at least until later today).

I truly liked Harold Reynolds. I liked him when he played, and I liked him on Baseball Tonight. He was really the only one, besides Karl Ravech, that ever made any sense. John Kruk is so non-sensical that you just shake your head at him (much like McCarver), Steve Phillips was fired from the NY Mets for a reason, and Jeff Brantley is so unlikeable that I actually involuntarily punch the TV when he's on the screen.

The main thing that made Harold Reynolds great wasn't arguing whether A-Rod should be traded on Baseball Tonight, but doing the jobs no one else would do. Harold would routinely show up when others couldn't make it. He filled in for Woody Paige on Cold Pizza last week, and most importantly he always did the College World Series and the Little League World Series. And he didn't just show up and coast through the broadcast. You could tell he really loved the game and the kids involved. He knew everything about the players.....even down to their favorite band (from the Black Eyed Peas to The Red Hot Chilli Peppers)

Unless this firing is based on something substantial, like Drug Use or Sexual Harassment, ESPN further has solidified it's spot as the LAST place I will go to for news. If ESPN wants to fire people who make quotes like the one below I hope they eventually fail just like their Mobile service.

“It's a great time. They're in their own dorms with no parents, only coaches and their buddies. And Little League treats them like kings – a video game center, ping pong, a pool, ice cream . . . you name it, anything a kid could want. And on top of that, they get to play baseball.”- Harold Reynolds at the Little League World Series

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Comments:

Yeah, I didn't agree with ideas about baseball on everything, but he looked like it was more than just a paycheck for him...he loved baseball. That's why a guy like Gammons is so great too. Now with Gammons out and Reynolds gone, what's left? Brantley and Kruk? CHRIST

I am outraged that Harold was fired. I was looking forward to the day that Gary Thorne finally learned baseball (because he has the greatest voice) and Harold Reynolds would move Miller and Joe dumbass Morgan out of the Sunday Night Baseball booth. I have no idea why ESPN would ever THINK of firing Harold... Must be contract disputes (please have him come to YES, i cannot take fuckin' Ken Singleton for 1 more minute. The guy is incompetent beyond belief and when a good play happens in the field he just says 'nice.' Not even a play thrown in there)I can't believe I live in Connecticut and basically the only famous thing in our state, ESPN, I have now completely turned against.